My new cookbook hit the stores last week. It's the third book I've written that focuses on the fruits and vegetables from a delicious point of view. The subject matter of "50 Best Plants on the Planet: The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables in 150 Delicious Recipes" (Chronicle, $29.95) echoes my childhood experiences.

The topic of nutrient density was a common refrain in our household, meaning that the vitamin and mineral content of everything we ate was considered. Friends called my mother a health nut. I think it is best illustrated by cauliflower memories.

At 20, I went to France for the first time to meet the family of the man I was to marry. Seated at that elegant Parisian dinner table, I eagerly consumed my first multi-course French dinner. That meal forever changed my life, directing it onto a steadfast food-centric path.

It's funny that the meal's cauliflower au gratin stuck in my brain. Cauliflower seldom made an appearance on our plates at home, which seemed odd considering that every night dinner featured two or three fresh vegetables along with a hearty hunk of protein and a mountain of salad.

So when I returned from Europe, I told Mom about the joys of cauliflower au gratin. I described the Mornay sauce that drifted over the florets, rich with cream and melted Gruyere cheese. How butter-soaked bread crumbs turned brown and crisp on top. And I explained how every bite made me hunger for more.

Mom was obsessed with the study of nutrition. My cauliflower dialogue made her look at me as if I'd gone over to the dark side.

She said that although cauliflower was perfectly fine, it couldn't measure up to broccoli when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Or cabbage, or Brussels sprouts.

Amusing isn't it that caulifower didn't make the cut for the book? Fifty other fruits and vegetables beat it for nutrient content, including its cruciferous cousins cabbage and Brussels sprouts, as well as arugula, bok choy, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), kale, rapini and watercress.

For me, it doesn't matter how nutrient dense something is unless it is luscious. And I embrace the competition that is going on between local chefs. It seems that they are duking it out over who can cook up the most delectable Brussels sprouts and kale. The vegetable culinary battle would have tickled Mom. Chefs using their expertise to turn diehard vegetable haters into fans would have been a victory.

Chef Jason Quinn at Playground in Santa Ana high-heat roasts his Brussels sprouts then tosses them with a judicious amount of mustard-honey vinaigrette. Chef Amar Santana at Broadway in Laguna Beach deep-fries his Brussels sprouts and tosses them with a sweet-sour concoction and Chinese sausage.

At home, I love to cut the orbs in half, then sear-steam them. It's an easy approach that brings out the best in the Brussels sprouts, which need to be no bigger than medium size. They are well browned on the cut side in a little olive oil and butter, then covered and cooked on low heat until tender crisp. The caramelization on the cut side makes them sweet, while the final steaming creates alluring texture.

As for kale, it has become so popular that it stars in salads all over the county, including the refrigerated deli section at Trader Joe's. In the past we thought of kale, especially the most common variety that has frilly edges, as a tough customer. That was until chefs came along and figured out that cutting it into very small pieces and marinating it in lemony vinaigrette brought out its more tender side. I think of it in a ceviche kind of way, meaning that marinating not only changes the way it tastes, it also transforms its texture.

Many chefs, including those at True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach, prefer Tuscan kale. It's the variety that is dark green with puckered, more tender leaves; it is often dubbed black kale (cavolo nero in Italian) or dinosaur kale.

In the book, my kale salad can be made with either variety. It teams chopped, stemmed kale with vinaigrette made with fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and extra-virgin olive oil, plus chopped dates, minced garlic and a smidgen of dried red chili flakes. After sitting for 30 minutes, the salad is garnished with toasted almonds and dried cranberries.

Recipes from the book that highlight kale and Brussels sprouts follow, as well as a scrumptious salad with nutrient-dense tangerines, as well as a layered salad of watercress and green beans.

Kale Salad with Dates and Almonds from Cathy Thomas's book '50 Best Plants on the Planet'. NICK KOON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Watercress and Green Bean Salad served on a bed of Farro. NICK KOON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
“Fifty Best Plants on the Planet” is Cathy Thomas' third cookbook written in conjunction with Melissa's Produce (Chronicle, $29.95).
A still life of some of the most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables including Tuscan kale, kumquats, curly kale, romaine lettuce, beets, cabbage, watercress, Brussels sprouts, raspberries, dandelion greens and chard. NICK KOON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pixie tangerines from Ojai. NICK KOON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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